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Virginia Tech blasts No. 10 North Carolina 80-69 in front of a sold out home crowd

Posted at 9:11 PM, Jan 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-22 21:11:06-05

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech needed a win in the worst way, coming into Monday night on a two-game losing skid. In front of a sold out crowd at Cassell Coliseum, the Hokies delivered against the 10th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, 80-69.

Buzz Williams coaching. (Photo by Lauren Rakes/Getty Images)

Trailing by six points with five minutes remaining in the first half, Tech (14-and-6, 3-and-4 ACC) surged in front with a 15-2 run to take a 39-32 lead into the break. In the second half, the Hokies would keep their foots on the pedal to snag a double-digit win over the Tar Heels for the first time since 1949. The win also snaps a seven-game losing skid to North Carolina.

Fresh off of a career-high 26 points against Florida State, Hokies point guard Justin Robinson led the team with 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Ahmed Hill chipped in 18 points.

The Tar Heels (16-and-5, 5-and-3 ACC) got 23 points each from their leaders Joel Berry III and Luke Maye, but the rest of the team chipped in a mere 23 points. UNC brought a four-game winning streak into Monday night.

With a couple of in-conference losses early, Virginia Tech will need to finish strong down the stretch to keep at-large bid hopes alive. Their next contest is Saturday on the road at Notre Dame.